


An Exclusive Interview with Piper McLean

by Sugarplume02



Series: The "Wait Aren't They Probably Famous??" Series [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Based on a Tumblr Post, Canon Divergent, F/M, Fame, Gen, I just want to do Piper justice, Internet Famous, Interviews, It's written like an interview/podcast, Mentioned Jason Grace - Freeform, Past Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Piper reconnecting with her Native heritage, Podcast, YouTubers - Freeform, they're still demigods though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:49:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25702354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sugarplume02/pseuds/Sugarplume02
Summary: While on the search for Leo, Piper decided to upload all the photos she took around the country to her Instagram as she took them. If she put it on public so that it'll be easier for him to find her and Jason, nobody has to know.But then she starts taking videos of her and Jason to document their adventures for Leo. Along the way, she's also trying to figure out who she is and who she wants to be.And, well, one thing led to another, and now she has a blue checkmark next to her handle on twitter and ten million followers on Instagram.Once her platform was established and she realized she could make a change with it, Piper couldn't help but to accept an invitation to be interviewed on a podcast.This is that interview.
Series: The "Wait Aren't They Probably Famous??" Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983631
Comments: 10
Kudos: 258
Collections: Social Media Fics





	An Exclusive Interview with Piper McLean

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [the jackson files](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25262122) by [Ideasofmarch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ideasofmarch/pseuds/Ideasofmarch). 



> Hi everyone! This fanfiction is a combination three things:
> 
> A) My thoughts after reading a wonderful Tumblr post talking about the lack of fanfiction surrounding Piper reconnecting her heritage, and I wanted to share that idea with the PJO community.  
> You can read post of the posts from finding-my-culture pretty easily using this link:  
> https://thefaewhispers.tumblr.com/post/617303514384908288/finding-my-culture-maxie-ratties-and-cattie/amp
> 
> But be aware that the actual poster of everything I used as reference is from finding-my-culture and not thefaewhispers (I'm sorry if there was an easier way to do this, I'm not very good at navigating Tumblr)
> 
> B) The Buzzfeed Unsolved "everyone is famous" PJO fanfic I read (the one listed as inspiring this work)
> 
> and
> 
> C) Me wanting to try the "interview" format for a fanfiction
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Interviewer:** Hello hot leaf water sippers, and welcome back to TeaTime podcast! Today’s podcast features a special guest, the rising influencer Piper McLean.

**Piper McLean (PM):** Hi everyone.

**Interviewer:** So, before we get started, I just want to lay down some information for our listeners as to where they would’ve heard of your name before. Piper’s been in the press before she became a social media influencer because her father is actor Tristan McLean. Piper, how does it feel to try to fill such big shoes?

**PM:** Well, it really doesn’t feel like I’m trying to fill in any shoes. I really feel like the name associated with me is only just a stepping stone to help me accomplish what I would like to do anyways. My whole platform is about being a sixteen year old girl trying to reconnect with her Cherokee roots, and I’m really grateful that the public is already interested in my life. Between all my social media platforms, my goal is to try to show all the young girls out there that it’s okay to be different, to be confident, and to find yourself. So, yeah, to answer your question, I’m not trying to fill any shoes.

(Piper laughs)

**PM:** I hope I didn’t stray too far from the question.I’m just really passionate about my work.

**Interviewer:** I can tell. You speak about wanting to inspire confidence. Did you face issues with confidence before?

**PM:** I have. There’s been a lot of instances when I’ve only faked confidence. I’ve had to go to quite a few schools, and I’ve been bullied at nearly all of them. I used to have really unhealthy ways to cope with feeling like I wasn’t wanted enough by the people I cared about, and it took about a year of learning to accept myself in order to reach where I am now.

**Interviewer:** Wow. Talking about that journey of accepting yourself, does that have anything to do with the trip you took across America earlier this year?

**PM:** A little bit. I went on that trip with my boyfriend at the time, and while my intention wasn’t introspection, the many days on the road certainly led to it. I took a lot of pictures during the trip because I wanted to be able to share it with my friend once I got in contact with them again, and Instagram was the easiest way to document photos. I decided to make my account public, because I was much more confident than I was before, and then the pictures led their way into vlogs, and the way I was documenting my life through my vlog bled into my tweets, and then suddenly I’m on an introspective journey that I’m sharing with the world.

**Interviewer:** And we’re all glad you did. Congratulations on ten million Instagram followers, by the way.

**PM:** Thank you. It means a lot.

**Interviewer:** So you mentioned you had a boyfriend?

**PM:** I did.

**Interviewer:** Past tense, huh. Care to elaborate?

**PM:** Sure. So, his name is Jason, and we were sorta going out last school year and became official over the summer. He’s a super nice guy, and I love him to death, but the issue that ended the relationship is that we were kinda forced to be together because of outside forces. Everyone just assumed we were supposed to be together, including me, and that’s just not fair, y’know? We never really were able to start as friends and then have that evolve into a romantic relationship, so we broke up on friendly terms. Again, we’re still close friends, so you’ll see him on my Instagram and in my vlogs sometimes, but I really don’t need a romantic relationship right now. I want to be able to be my own person first, and then have a relationship.

**Interviewer:** Very well put. Who else should we look for in your posts and vlogs?

**PM:** Oh, well Jason is one of my friends that live pretty close to me, but sometimes you’ll spot my friends Hazel and Frank, who live near San Francisco, and I have a lot of friends I still talk to from the summer camp I went to this year. In fact, I’m doing a collab with my one super talented friend from camp who’s been in this social media world a lot longer than I have, so watch out for that. We’re meeting up over winter break at her place in New York City, so I’m sure that’ll be a lot of fun.

**Interviewer:** I’ll be keeping an eye out for it. Would it be a YouTube collab?

**PM:** We’re also planning on doing an Instagram Live, but there will definitely also be a YouTube collab.

**Interviewer:** Speaking of YouTube, that’s your only social media that your handle isn’t just your first and last name. Could you tell us the story of why your YouTube handle is different?

**PM:** Oh, sure. My YouTube handle is PiperLikeThePlane, and that’s because one day, in second grade, I was bullied because Piper Cherokee is a type of plane. That day, I went home convinced that that was why I was named how I was. Luckily for me, my dad isn’t that much of a fan to name me after an airplane like that, but the memory stuck. I chose it as my handle because I liked how I could both rise above those who treated me unfairly and acknowledge who I am at the same time. It’s also a play on how much I traveled when I started the channel. Also, and this is a real exclusive, because I haven’t told anyone this, but it’s a bit of an inside joke with Jason, because, uh, he always says that if he would have a superpower it would be the power of flight. So, there’s a bit of the joke that I like “The Plane”, aka my boyfriend at the time.

**Interviewer:** I would’ve never guessed. That’s super creative! Now, I know it was earlier in our conversation, but you mentioned a collab. Can you drop any hints for the listeners as to who you’ll collab with?

**PM:** I don’t want to ruin the surprise, but her YouTube channel is much bigger than mine, she’s from NYC, and we follow each other on the socials. Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait and see.

**Interviewer:** Mysterious. While we’re on the topic of the future, what do you see yourself doing after high school?

**PM:** As of the moment, I’m honestly not sure. I really love what I’m able to bring to the table in terms of social media, so I know I’m going to keep doing that. In terms of after high school, I do intend on going to college, and I think I’ll like to become a public speaker. But I’m only a sophomore, and plans change. Oh, and I’m also really looking into writing a book.

**Interviewer:** A book?

**PM:** Yeah, a book. It wouldn’t be a book in the more traditional sense, as much as it would be a bit more of a scrapbook of my life people could buy. It’ll include both pictures I have and haven’t posted, and it’ll sort of document everything I learned about myself over the last year. The plan is to start it now and then add onto it for a year or two, or until I feel like I’ve grown enough as a person to publish it.

**Interviewer:** Is it the right impression to think of it as a self help book with cool pictures?

**PM:** Haha, yeah, it would be. That pretty much sums up all my content, really.

**Interviewer:** In some of your online content, you not only go into what it’s like to try to reconnect with your Cherokee roots, but you also share about your experiences growing up without a mother. Is there anything you’ll like to elaborate about either of these topics?

**PM:** Oh, I’ll love to. I’ve always had a very complicated relationship with my heritage. A lot of Native people, including my father, reject their heritage and culture in an attempt to protect themselves. Growing up, I pretty much rejected my heritage as well. My only connection was through my grandpa, but overall I was really disconnected. Trying to reconnect is really hard for me, because there’s a lot of emotions, right? Sometimes, I’m worried that I’m not Native enough to reconnect with my tribe. Sometimes, I’m angry with my dad for not giving me the opportunity to be a part of that community and life. We’ve talked about it a lot, and have had a lot of healthy conversations about it, and for the most part he’s said that it’s in the interest of protecting me. Which is so, so frustrating, because the world shouldn’t make my dad and other Native people feel like they have to hide themselves to protect themselves! Part of what I’ve been doing now that I have a platform is speaking up about what Native people face on a day to day basis. Do you mind if I share some statistics?

**Interviewer:** Please share.

**PM:** Okay, so, for example, according to the National Institute of Justice, about 56% of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. That’s compared to Rainn’s statistic that about 17% of women have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes. So, it’s already dangerous to be a woman, but when you’re a Native woman, it’s even more dangerous! Once you add all the negative stereotypes that Native people face, like that we’re all thieves or alcoholics, it makes sense that my dad tried to protect me from the world. But at the same time, I wish I could’ve grown up with that culture. It’s a real whirlwind of emotions. Reconnecting has brought me anger and sadness, but I’ve also really enjoyed learning and discovering new parts of myself. So, you also mentioned me growing up without a mother?

**Interviewer:** Yes, if you’re willing to share.

**PM:** Because it’s on the top of my mind, I do want to note that I’ve definitely doubted if I’m Native enough because of my mother. See, my dad doesn’t really like talking about my mother, and I respect that decision, but it has made it hard for me to really put together who I am. I’m not sure what her ethnicity was, and my dad doesn’t really want to disclose anything about her to me. So, I’m working with the pieces I have. But really, I love my father enough that I don’t need a mother figure in my life. There’s been moments where it was hard for my dad to work and take care of me, but we’ve always been able to make it work.

**Interviewer:** Thank you so much for your insight, Piper. What a great end to the interview. If any listener wants to keep up with what Piper is up to in the future, you can follow her on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok under as PiperMcLean, and you can check out her YouTube channel PiperLikeThePlane. Thanks for joining us!

**PM:** Thanks for having me!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! It's not your job to, but if there's something that I wrote that's incorrect/stereotypical/insensitive, I would really appreciate it if you let me know. I tried as best as I could to write it correctly, and, as I said in my first author's note, I was really inspired by the Tumblr post to encourage a discussion about this in the PJO community, even if it's not something I relate to. I want the discussion to be as authentic and accurate as possible.
> 
> On a bit of an unrelated note, if you would be interested to read almost an expansion of this "universe", I would love to know! I'm thinking about maybe writing that YouTube collab between Rachel and Piper and then the fallout of everyone finding out they're friends (and also Piper's ex-boyfriend is one of the missing Grace siblings??) or even just expanding upon that interval of time between Blood of Olympus and The Burning Maze.
> 
> Hope to see you at the next fic! xx


End file.
